Runaway
by sora-doragon
Summary: Yuffie wants to get past the barrier Leon has put up against the outside world. But she's beginning to wonder if it's really worth the effort. Squiffie!
1. Running

Alright guys! It's been awhile, and rules have changed. I took out the lyrics, but this first chapter is still loosely based on a song by Norah Jones called "Cold, Cold, Heart." It's totally awesome and you should listen to it. I decided to change the title as well… Thanks for bearing with me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then Squall would be in it more. Oh yeah, the song Cold Cold Heart is sung by Norah Jones and it is one of my favorite songs.

**Cold, Cold Heart**

She watched him eat his breakfast, sitting at the café. He was such an enigma to her. Maybe that was why she felt drawn toward him. Yuffie figured he knew that he entranced her, but he didn't show it. She didn't mind, really. 'Leon' saw her watching him.

"What?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." She looked back down.

Yuffie didn't know how many times she'd tried to talk to him. A real conversation. The thought seemed so nice. But he was just so cold. The only way to get any response at all was to bug him. Then he'd just get mad. And that never turned out well.

"Sq-Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate me or something?"

He looked puzzled. "Why would you say that?"

"You don't ever talk to me about anything. And we're fighting partners. We share the same room… the same bed. Why are you so cold to me?"

He thought about it. It wasn't really intentional, but her perky, independent attitude reminded him of… her. He didn't say anything. She sighed.

"I just wish you'd open up to me."

"You sound like Aerith…" He wondered why she was acting so strangely. She usually would be babbling on about who knows what.

"We could talk about anything… everything. How's your food? What kind of music do you like to listen to? Movies… Sports… Card games… Rinoa…"

'How does she remember Rinoa?' He wondered. 'She couldn't have been over seven when she…'

Yuffie was looking at him expectantly.

He remembered when he first met Rinoa, she approached him with the same subject.

He looked at her blankly. "Just… leave me alone, Yuffie." He couldn't stand her pity. Why would she pity him?

Yuffie frowned. "Fine. If you can't stand me that much, I'll just leave. And go far away. Aerith and Cloud don't need me, they've got each other. And we clearly see that _you _don't need me. I'm not going to hang around unwanted. I hate you just as much as you hate me, Squall." She threw a few munny gems on the table and ran out, headed for the hotel.

"Yuffie…" He sighed.

* * *

Back in the Green Room, Yuffie looked at herself in the mirror.

"Why? Why couldn't I just leave it alone? Why do I have to care about him so much? I can't stand to see him so sad. Damn… it didn't use to be that bad. He didn't use to be _that _lonely and withdrawn."

She remembered back at the Coliseum.

_It was right after the Pegasus cup, and she and Squall had fought together, but they still had been no match for the Keyblade wielding Sora._

_Leon wasn't very good at magic, so Yuffie was healing his wounds._

_"Who knew that the unbreakable Squall Leonhart could be beat by a little kid waving a key around? I'm ashamed of you. The Greatest Ninja Ever can't let her image go down because of her fighting partner." She scratched her head, thoughtful. "Of course, I lost too…"_

_Leon stood up. He smirked and ruffled her hair. "Better luck next time, right?"_

_What caused this uncharacteristic un-Leon-ness? She would forever wonder. "Right! The Greatest Ninja Ever never gives up!"_

_"Let's get back to Aerith."_

But Yuffie was giving up now. She didn't know what she could do anymore. She felt like she was causing him pain just by _being _there.

'I mean, I miss Rinoa too. She was my favorite babysitter (not that I'd ever tell Aerith). I miss everyone too. But I don't let it get me down. They wouldn't want that.' She sighed in frustration. She couldn't stand him. She felt sorry for him. She loved him. All at the same time. She couldn't do anything, and it was driving her crazy.

"I'm leaving." She told no one in particular. Leaving the man she was in love with.

She knew it would hurt, but maybe she could get over it.

"Should I leave a note?"

She decided against it. He wasn't going to come after her. She put on her backpack and jumped off the balcony up onto the roof and went to steal a gummi ship. She stopped and sat down.

"Do I really want to do this? Why did it have to be this way?" She just didn't understand.

Squall sat at the café, pensive. Should he go after her? Would he be sad to lose her? Yes. He would. Her annoying antics kept him going through the day and her constant getting in trouble and needing to be saved gave him a reason to be there.

He ran out of the café, forgetting about breakfast.

'She wouldn't have gone already, would she?'

He barges into the Green Room. "Yuffie?" He looked around. She wasn't there.

"What do I do now? Damn…"

* * *

Well, you know the drill… R/r! 


	2. Searching

Well… here is the long awaited second chapter! I hope you like it as well! Everyone gets the plushie they specified for unless you didn't... Then you get a chocobo! -hums theme song-

Oh, by the way, none of this is mine. Shocker, I know….

**Chapter Two**

The table was made from… wood, of course. He didn't exactly know what type, but it was the kind that was tinted in certain places naturally. It swirled to make patterns and pictures. He always liked to find new pictures in the table, but no such luck today. He followed a line with his eyes until it met another to make… a shuriken.

He sighed inwardly. He felt like hitting his head against the table, if only the pain would make her leave his thoughts. But then, _they _would be able to tell that he wasn't paying attention to their 'lecture'.

"Leonhart! Are you listening to _anything_ we're saying?" Cloud's angry voice drifted into his thoughts. He looked up at the blond blankly.

"It's your fault that she's gone, Squall."

Squall leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "She can do whatever she wants. She isn't a child anymore."

Aerith stepped out from behind Cloud. "So, you're saying that you don't miss her at all?"

Something changed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his usual look. "The quiet is nice." He stood to leave.

"You don't want to lose her too. I know you don't." Aerith hoped aloud.

Squall didn't reply; he walked out. Cloud called after him. "We're leaving to look for her in the morning." There was no reply.

Aerith looked up at Cloud, worried. "What if he really doesn't care?"

Cloud pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry. He'll come, And we'll find her."

* * *

_"Vinnie! No!" They could hear Yuffie's cries from the distance. _

_"Squall! We have to get her! The gummi ship is leaving very soon!" Rinoa's brown eyes were filled with worry. Squall nodded and took off running, Rinoa close behind him. Yuffie's cries became louder. He had almost reached her, when he heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him._

_Horror filled him and time seemed to slow down as he turned. A Familiar withdrew its sword from Rinoa's heart and drifted away._

_Squall ran to her and caught her as she fell. He laid her carefully on the ground, and raised his hands to perform the only Cure spell that he had._

_"No… Don't, Squall. It's time for me to go…" She reached out her hand and he held it. He hoped she could not see the tears in his eyes._

_"Please don't be sad, Squall… you have to take care of Yuffie for me."_

_"I'm not leaving you."_

_She smiled weakly. "I love you… but Yuffie needs you now. Please go to her before she gets hurt." He held her in his arms one last time before she faded away._

_Anger filled him, but he would have to deal with that later. First, he had to fulfill Rinoa's last wish. He began to run._

_He saw her, clinging to Vincent's lifeless body. Her face was buried in his chest and she was sobbing loudly. He was about to call for her just as another figure appeared and lifted Yuffie off Vincent._

_"No! Put me down!" She cried, struggling against him._

_"It's alright, Yuffie. You'll be safe with me."_

_Squall's words were filled filled with venom. "Give her to me, Seifer."_

_Seifer smirked. "Why should I? You couldn't even protect Rin…"_

_Yuffie bit Seifer's arm and he dropped her. She ran back to Vincent._

_An aura of darkness seemed to appear around Seifer. "Yuffie… don't resist. You _must_ come with me."_

Take care of Yuffie for me…

_Seifer took a step toward Yuffie._

_"Don't move." Seifer turned to see Irvine behind him. The sharpshooter's gun was pointed straight at Seifer's heart. "Get her and go, Squall."_

_The thought floated somewhere in Squall's mind that he would have to thank the Cowboy greatly later. He picked Yuffie up._

_She clung to him. "Make it stop, Squall…" She cried._

_"I wish I could…" He thought aloud as he ran._

_They made it to the gummi ship just in time before it took off. Irvine didn't make it, and neither did Cloud, as they found out from an inconsolable Aeris._

_Would they ever see them again?_

_Cid yelled at all of them to sit down as they left the atmosphere._

_Each found a seat and tried to get their minds to rest, weeping silently._

* * *

Well, she had done it. The doors of Olympia Coliseum greeted her. She smiled, proud of herself. 

Too childish? Well, she had come all the way here on her own. Ha!

And who cared about Leon anymore? He didn't try to stop her from leaving or anything… but he didn't matter.

She had a new life now. She could do whatever she wanted without _him _breathing over her shoulder.

* * *

"I knew you would come!" Aerith's happy voice greeted Squall the millisecond he stepped onto the ship. 

He rubbed his eyes and sat down. "I'm only doing it so I don't have to pay rent for that whole house and a Hotel room on my own."

The couple looked at him in shock. "You gave away the house _and _the Hotel room?"

"Deal with it." He smirked. Payback was sweet.

* * *

Excitement built up inside Yuffie. She rushed inside, doing a couple of flips on the way. 

Phil met her at the door. "You here for the competition?"

"No, I'm just here to have a nice conversation with you. Geez… what do you think?" She said, sarcastically.

The half goat had never liked the ninja ever since she first set foot in the Coliseum.

"Where's your partner?"

"Don't have a partner, Shorty." She grinned.

He grimaced. "I think it might be too rough for you on your own. Maybe you should head back home."

"No way! I'm the Greatest Ninja Ever! What are you talking about?" She replied, confidently.

"Fine… go get yourself killed. Not _my _problem. That's why you sign the waiver." He handed her the sign up sheet.

There wasn't anyone she quickly recognized, but she was sure the Keyblader would arrive at the last possible minute. She signed hastily and sprinted inside.

After performing a few more flips, she noticed a figure lying on one of the stone bleachers. On his back, arm raised, pointing a gun at the sky.

She needed someone to train with….

She bounced up to him. "Hiya! Will you train with me? I don't have a partner anymore and I'd like to rack up some EXP before the tourney… Hey, don't I know you?"

He looked over at her. "Yuffie?"

"Cowboy? I knew it was you! What are you doing here?"

He looked back up at the sky. "I'm looking for her…"

_Who? Geez… he sounds like Cloud did. _"I'll help you! But you're not gonna find her just sitting here!"

He grinned. "You're right. You're comin' with me?"

"After the tourney!" She almost wished Squall was there so she could ask him who in the heck he was looking for, but she caught herself. There were plenty of brick walls around here to talk to. Who needed Squall?

* * *

Squall checked the sign in list before adding his and Cloud's names. Aerith had decided to go check Wonderland and Agrabah to let the guys participate in the tournament. 

"Yep. She's here." Squall said. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief.

Squall looked farther up the list. "This looks pretty easy. We should get a high se- _He's here?"_

_

* * *

_

Yay! An update! Please review, but no flames! Constructive criticism welcomed! Sorry if you don't like the FF8 characters being pulled in, but it's my favorite game ever! Thank you thank you to all of my reviewers! Especially Little Kitty Kyon for reminding me that it _has _been a year! I promise not to take that long next time, if you guys liked this one!

-Sora


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